BC Ferries sold reservations for non-existent sailings on holiday Monday
Some BC Ferries passengers arrived at their departure terminal Monday only to learn the sailing they reserved weeks in advance never actually existed.
And with ferries already jam-packed with travellers returning home at the end of the B.C. Day long weekend, some families have subsequently found themselves trapped and unable to return home for another night.
BC Ferries has apologized online and told passengers that sailings were "incorrectly built into our system" on the holiday Monday.
"We sincerely apologize to all customers affected and are giving full refunds for the inconvenience," the company wrote on Twitter.
BC Ferries has not responded to CTV News' requests for more information, including how many passengers were impacted in total and how the mistake happened.
Impacted travellers have said they booked their sailings through the BC Ferries website like any other.
Oliver Fitt, who reserved a direct ferry from Tsawwassen to Salt Spring Island that was supposed to leave at 9:10 a.m., said he even received a reminder email a few days ago.
But when he showed up at the terminal, he learned there was no such sailing scheduled.
"Seems a little bit strange," Fitt told CTV News. "Clearly some things aren't working very well within BC Ferries that need to be addressed."
That sailing was supposed to pick up more passengers on Salt Spring at 10:50 a.m., make another stop at Pender Island at 11:40 a.m., then return everyone to Tsawwassen.
One traveller said she was waiting in the vehicle lineup at the Long Harbour ferry terminal when a BC Ferries employee began approaching cars one by one and informing them their reservation was no longer valid.
Multiple affected passengers told CTV News they felt sorry for the employees working the terminals, who appeared to be just learning about the issue as it was happening.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Angela Jung
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.